Intrigues As APC Governors Settle For Musa As National Chairman

Top governors on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, have settled for Mr Sani Musa to emerge as the National Chairman of the party in the planned 26th National Convention, THE WHISTLER has learnt.

Musa is a senator representing Niger East Senatorial District of Niger State.

It was gathered that Governors Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti states have settled for Musa after much horse trading.

While Buni is the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee organising the party’s National Convention, Bagudu is the Chairman of governors on the platform of the APC. Both are power brokers and have huge influence in the party.

Also, in the Buni’s camp that has settled for Musa, sources said, are governors Ben Ayade of Cross River, Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Sani Bello of Niger, and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara states.

The governors were reported to have gathered at a secret meeting with only Bello not in attendance to consummate the plan. Bello was said to have conveyed his apologies and informed the governors of his full support.

Musa was chosen ahead of one of the leading aspirants, Mr Tanko Al-Makura, former Nasarawa State Governor and Senator.

It was gathered that the governors decided to support Musa because of his unblemished record while almost all the aspirants and all former governors have certain cases with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC.

The party leadership had indicated interest not to create more controversy by electing someone facing charges of corruption with the EFCC, for fear of it being used against the party byopposition parties especially the People’s Democratic Party.

While Al-Mukara enjoys huge support from the president, Mr Muhammadu Buhari and some members of the party from the South West zone of the country, especially the APC National Leader, Mr Bola Tinubu, the choice of Musa is also said to be the best so as to ensure the chairman is not a stooge of some powerful elements in the party from the South West.

Already, the development has pitched the party leadership against some stakeholders, who have kicked against the move, saying it amounted to imposing Musa on the party, which will ultimately lead to crisis before the 2023 general elections.

The group, which called itself the APC Youth Development and Solidarity Forum, APC- YDSF, alleged that governors have hijacked the party’s national convention the way they fixed February 26, date for the event, in flagrant disregard for the preferences expressed by stakeholders.

The Secretary General of the Forum, Mr Tobias Ogbeh, speaking on behalf of the group stated that the governors and “their other desperate allies that include serving ministers have perfected plans to ensure that Senator Sani Musa is imposed as APC National Chairman alongside other lackeys that would be named to other positions at the convention.

“Senator Sani Musa would in turn deliver Bagudu as APC presidential flagbearer and Kayode Fayemi as his running mate. They have cooked up what they called ‘unity list’ to package their plot as something positive and desirable for the party and the country when the contrary is the case.

“Sadly, things are now clearer. The governors in question never bothered about what stakeholders thought, wanted, or demanded, because for them the National Convention is a fait accompli.”

The group stressed that the convention envisaged by these political actors was one at which they would merely coerce delegates to rubber stamp the decisions that have been taken.

The group accused “a few unpatriotic ministers” for allegedly “playing overlords in states that are not controlled by the APC.”